Arabic version: المملكة المتحدة تحدد الحد الأدنى لسن تجربة حاصرات البلوغ

Gender-questioning children will have to be at least 11 years old to take part in a clinical trial assessing the risks and benefits of puberty-blocking drugs. This decision follows safety concerns raised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which had previously suggested a minimum age of 14, where none had been set previously.

According to BBC News, the Pathways Trial was paused in February 2026 due to these concerns. The trial aims to assess the risks and benefits of puberty blockers for children questioning their gender identity, a treatment that has been banned for under-18s since 2024.

Recruitment for the trial is expected to begin in August, although ongoing legal action by some clinicians and campaigners questioning the trial’s safety and ethics may delay that. Participants will require parental consent and must demonstrate a good understanding of the treatment’s potential benefits and risks.

The trial, approved by UK regulators and ethics experts in November 2025, will include children under the age of 16 who are distressed about their gender and currently accessing gender services. The researchers have stated that they welcome scrutiny of studies involving children and have made efforts to strengthen patient information and introduce clearer guidelines regarding the treatment.

Despite the approval, some doctors and campaigners have raised ethical concerns about the trial, arguing that children may not be able to provide fully informed consent for a treatment that could impact their future fertility. Dr. Hilary Cass, who conducted a review on gender medicine, emphasized the importance of the trial proceeding to prevent unregulated distribution of the drugs.